Interview / Q&A with Megadeth and Phil Alexander
For Megadeth, world domination has always been the goal. But as frontman Dave Mustaine explained in a recent Q&A with rock journalist Phil Alexander, that ambition now extends from the stage to the supermarket aisle. Detailing the launch of their new ‘Rattlehead’ IPA and a ‘Zero’ non-alcoholic version, Mustaine revealed a clear-eyed strategy to push their new beer globally, a plan born from the frustrations of their previous ventures.
The new line, launched in collaboration with Black Sheep Breweries, is not the band’s first foray into brewing. Megadeth previously had a successful contract with a Canadian company for their “À Tout le Monde” saison, which Mustaine noted “sold 15 million pints.” However, that success was hampered by logistics.
“There was just so much crazy bureaucratic stuff,” Mustaine explained, highlighting the difficulty in expanding their market. “It was so hard for us to get beer out of Canada over here to Europe… And when this happened, everything kind of fell in line.”
The “this” he refers to is the new partnership with the UK-based Black Sheep Brewery, a move that has immediately solved their distribution hurdles and set the stage for a worldwide rollout. “The people over here with Black Sheep Brewery… made it real easy for us to become partners with them,” he said.
That ease of partnership has already yielded staggering results. The ‘Rattlehead’ IPA, which is available in 450 Tesco supermarkets across the UK, has been an immediate smash hit.
“The people at Black Sheep were just notified, Tesco ran out of all their beer, and they had to do an emergency batch,” Mustaine revealed. “We just found out that it’s outsold all the other craft beers. It was number one there… I think that’s pretty cool.”
This explosive UK launch serves as a powerful proof of concept for the band’s wider ambitions. When asked by Alexander about “beer domination on a global basis” and availability in the US, Mustaine confirmed the plan is already in motion, though he remained tight-lipped on specifics.
“No, there’s several other chains… that are going to be pairing up,” he teased. “I would love to tell you, but until you [sign] on the paper… I don’t want to give you any rubbish that I can’t back up.”
A key part of this global strategy is not just the 4.5% IPA but the inclusion of a zero-alcohol version. Mustaine sees a distinct and growing market for high-quality non-alcoholic options, dismissing any snobbery from “rock stars of the beer business” who might “turn their nose up” at making one.
“I think there’s a lot of people out there that’s middle of the day, and they’re eating something, and the taste of a cold beer sounds great,” he reasoned. “And you don’t want to go back to work and get breathalysed.”
For Mustaine, the entire venture is underpinned by an insistence on quality over profit. He noted that unlike his music career, he doesn’t need to “make a living off of selling beer,” which frees him from having to “lower the expectations of the beer, so that the profit margins higher.”
His focus is purely on taste, recounting his hatred for previous samples that had a “metallic taste.” Of the final Black Sheep product, his review was simple: “I got to tell you, I fucking loved it. I’m such a surprise.”
With a product he personally stands behind, a new partnership built for easy export, and explosive initial sales figures, Megadeth’s plan is clear. The next stage, Mustaine hints, will likely be a new saison or “something dark.” But whatever the flavour, the mission is no longer just selling beer—it’s building a global beverage brand.
If you want to try the Rattlehead IPA… click here:
https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/shop/megadeth-rattlehead-ipa/
Or the Pilsner
https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/shop/megadeth-rattlehead-pilsner/
Or the IPA ZERO
https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/shop/megadeth-rattlehead-ipa-zero/
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